The Help-To-Rent funding programme has been commissioned by Crisis, the national charity for homeless people, and will support the five projects to continue their innovative work enabling single homeless people to find long-term solutions to their homelessness.

The winners were announced to delegates attending Crisis’, ‘The Private Rented Sector – A Home For All?’ conference. Funded by the Oak Foundation, the conference explored challenges in the sector including access, affordability, standards and security, but also where practice can only go so far and where policy needs to change.

Glasgow Homelessness Network will pilot the use of private rented accommodation to deliver a Housing First approach in Scotland, testing whether the private rented sector could be used to scale up the Housing First approach by offering a high quality housing intervention.

Chris Hancock, head of housing at Crisis, said: “We are delighted to announce the five recipients of our funding programme and look forward to supporting the delivery of these outstanding projects for the next two years.

“Government funding for Help to Rent schemes came to an end in England earlier this year, so the programme has come at a vital time. Over the past six years, these schemes have helped more than 10,000 homeless people into decent homes, so we hope the projects we’ve chosen can share their learning both locally and across the UK, while we continue to make the case for renewed national funding.”

Other recipients of the funding include:

New Horizon Youth Centre

Working in partnership with Housing Associations to provide shared housing for 18-25 year old in urgent housing need. This will provide 12 months accommodation and support to enable young people to stabilise their financial and employment situation, develop tenancy skills, and save for a deposit, before moving on to longer term housing in the private rented sector.

Developing Health and Independence, Bath

Are looking to test three approaches. Will test the viability of property investment for housing charities and social lettings agencies, buying properties to let to homeless people. They will pilot the use of volunteers and peer supporters to support shared tenancies. Working in a Universal Credit Pilot area they will test how best to support tenants in receipt of Universal Credit to minimise rent arrears and prevent repeat homelessness.

Newydd Housing Association

Promoting the shared housing model in the Social Rented Sector, adapting the common housing register to promote and allocate shared housing in both the social and private rented sectors, and developing partnerships between the social and private rented sectors.

Arch (North Staffs)

Will be developing a shared social housing offer over a group of social landlords, using properties that are void or hard to let as a result of welfare reforms. This will include configuring and modelling Housing Association properties to make them suitable for sharing.